The U.S. Department of Justice has directed federal prosecutors to drop the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
The case, which accused Adams of bribery and campaign finance violations, had made him the first sitting NYC mayor in modern history to face federal indictment.
According to an internal memo obtained by Bloomberg Law, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove cited concerns over potential political motivations behind the case.
In his memo to the acting U.S. Attorney in Manhattan, Bove referenced Adams’ prior criticism of the former administration’s immigration policies and suggested the case had “unduly restricted” the mayor’s ability to address rising crime and illegal immigration.
“It cannot be ignored that Mayor Adams criticized the prior Administration’s immigration policies before the charges were filed,” Bove wrote. “The pending prosecution has unduly restricted Mayor Adams’ ability to devote full attention and resources to the illegal immigration and violent crime that escalated under the policies of the prior administration.”
The memo also invoked comparisons to previous high-profile cases, including the release of arms dealer Viktor Bout in exchange for WNBA star Brittney Griner. Bove argued that enforcing immigration priorities set by President Donald Trump was as significant—if not more so—than the objectives pursued by the prior administration.
Adams, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, refused to step down despite the indictment. In recent months, he has sought closer ties with Trump, describing a “productive conversation” between them in January, just before attending Trump’s inauguration. Trump had previously stated he would “look at” a potential pardon for Adams if convicted.
The DOJ’s decision to drop the case against Adams coincides with Trump’s pardon of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who had been convicted on corruption charges. Trump commuted Blagojevich’s sentence in 2020 before issuing a full pardon this week.
With the charges now dismissed, Adams avoids a high-profile trial that had been set for April. The decision is expected to spark further debate over the intersection of politics, law enforcement, and prosecutorial discretion in high-profile corruption cases.
